• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Blues-Ducks Preview

Jan 7, 2010 - 7:15 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer

St. Louis (17-18-7) at Anaheim (17-19-7), 10:00 p.m. EDT

Anaheim's play at home is at least giving the Ducks hope that they can still be a playoff contender.

The Ducks look for a fifth consecutive home victory when they face the struggling St. Louis Blues on Thursday night.

Saku Koivu scored his 200th goal as Anaheim (17-19-7) snapped a three-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over visiting Detroit on Tuesday.

While the victory was the Ducks' second in seven games overall, they improved to 12-8-2 at home where they've won 11 of 16 since losing four in a row in October.

That solid play has helped keep the Ducks within striking distance of the top eight spots in the Western Conference despite a dismal 5-11-5 road mark. Tied with St. Louis (17-18-7), the Ducks are 12 points out of the last playoff spot in the West.

"Desperation has to take place in our group," coach Randy Carlyle told the Ducks' official Web site. "We haven't won enough. We have to continue to build on the things. We just have to continue to work hard for our breaks."

Anaheim fell 5-0 at home to St. Louis on Oct. 17 - the only time it's been shut out at the Honda Center this season. That snapped the Ducks' four-game home winning streak over the Blues, who have lost six in a row and are 0-1-1 since Davis Payne replaced the fired Andy Murray as coach.

Anaheim has won seven of its last nine at home over St. Louis and another strong offensive effort could help it continue that success. The Ducks broke out against Detroit after totaling six goals during their three-game losing streak.

"You've got to fight through those kinds of things," said Koivu, who has three goals and two assists in his last five games. "That's the way we have to look at the game right now. We have to win shift after shift, period after period. We realize the situation we're in."

Corey Perry ended a 10-game goal drought with his 17th of the season and Ryan Getzlaf added an assist in his return after missing four games with a knee injury.

Getzlaf has three goals and five assists in his last six games against the Blues.

Anaheim still didn't have an answer for St. Louis' Ty Conklin, who stopped 26 shots in October. Though Chris Mason made 42 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss at San Jose on Wednesday, Conklin could start this contest.

Conklin, 6-6-1 with a 2.75 goals-against average this season, is 4-0-0 with a 1.25 GAA versus Anaheim.

Jonas Hiller made 38 saves for the Ducks on Tuesday to improve to 13-12-2 with a 2.84 GAA this season. He's 2-1-0 with a 3.03 GAA against the Blues.

Former Duck Andy McDonald scored in his career-high fourth straight game Wednesday for the Blues, who have lost four of their last six by one goal.

"I think we made some progress," Payne said of Wednesday's effort.

McDonald has three goals and one assist in five games against the Ducks since they traded him to St. Louis in February 2007.

While St. Louis will be without veteran Keith Tkachuk (oral surgery) for a second straight game, it could get Paul Kariya back after he missed the last four due to the effects of a concussion.